LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, June 20, 2025
2. Lithuania turns away 2 irregular migrants on border with Belarus
3. Lithuanian, Cypriot presidents to discuss bilateral ties, European security
4. Lithuanian parlt speaker heads to Brussels for NATO security talks
5. International maritime exercise BALTOPS concludes in Baltic Sea region
6. Bribery case involving Polish national, Enefit Green goes to court in Lithuania 
7. Vilnius to remove stone commemorating 650th anniversary of its founding from main square
8. Udovickij's Gargzdu Gelezinkelis sues Lithuanian state for EUR 62.5 mln 
9. Ombudsperson: over half of migrants who sought to enter Lithuania last year not identified
10. President invites Cyprus to open embassy in Lithuania
11. EU plan to ban Russian gas imports has loopholes – Lithuanian minister
12. Lithuanian parlt speaker urges NATO allies to spend 5 pct of GDP on defense 
13. EIB approves EUR 540 mln loan for Lithuania’s military campus in Rudninkai
14. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Monday, June 23, 2025

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, June 20, 2025

VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Friday, June 20, 2025:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides at 10.30 a.m. followed by the presidents' statements to the press at 11.30 a.m.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Saulius Skvernelis to attend a meeting of the parliamentary leaders from NATO countries in Brussels and is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Ruslan Stefanchuk.

INTERIOR MINISTER Vladislav Kondratovic is meeting with regional ministers responsible for internal security in Tallinn to discuss border security issues.

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Lithuania turns away 2 irregular migrants on border with Belarus

VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have turned away two migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally over the past 24 hours, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Friday morning.

Latvia reported 47 illegal border crossing attempts on Thursday. Poland denied entry to 54 irregular migrants on Wednesday, according to the latest available information.

Lithuania has barred 870 irregular migrants from entering from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year, after turning away 1,002 in 2024.

The influx of irregular migrants into the EU's eastern member states from Belarus began in 2021 and is blamed by the West on the Minsk regime.

 

 

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Lithuanian, Cypriot presidents to discuss bilateral ties, European security

VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS –Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda is set to host his Cypriot counterpart, Nikos Christodoulides, in Vilnius on Friday to discuss bilateral relations and the security situation in Europe.

The two leaders will also discuss "Russia's war in Ukraine, support for Ukraine and priorities for Cyprus' upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2026," Nauseda's office said in a press release on Thursday.

Lithuania and Cyprus established diplomatic relations in December 1992.

 

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Lithuanian parlt speaker heads to Brussels for NATO security talks

VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – Saulius Skvernelis, the speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, is heading to Brussels on Friday to meet with his NATO counterparts for talks on boosting the Alliance's resilience to potential threats.

According to Skvernelis' communications adviser Ramune Muzikeviciute-Narmontiene, the meeting at Belgium's Chamber of Representatives will also cover NATO and member states' security and defense policy priorities, as well as efforts to strengthen NATO security measures in the Baltic Sea region.

As part of his visit to Belgium, Skvernelis is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Ruslan Stefanchuk.

The meeting of NATO parliamentary speakers is being held to discuss key defense issues and political-military support among allies ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague.

This is the third meeting in the format: the first took place in Vilnius in 2023, followed by a second in Washington in 2024.

 

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International maritime exercise BALTOPS concludes in Baltic Sea region

VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – Baltic Operations 25, or BALTOPS 25, an international maritime-focused military exercise which also involved the Lithuanian Navy, concluded on Friday. 

According to the Lithuanian Armed Forces, the 54th iteration of the exercise took place from June 3 to 20. The exercise stood out for its focus on new technologies, with the training extensively integrating unmanned surface and underwater platforms used in various operations, from reconnaissance to mine neutralization.

The BALTOPS exercise involved more than 50 warships, over 25 aircraft, and about 9,000 troops from 16 NATO countries, including Lithuania, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, Latvia, Poland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, France, Finland, Sweden, Turkey, and Germany.

During the exercise, the troops trained by simulating real crisis scenarios, operating in multinational formations, and strengthening their overall readiness for collective defense, the Lithuanian Armed Forces said in a press release.

The first part of the exercise focused mainly on increasing the combat capabilities of the Navy and elements of anti-mine force integration. During this part, Navy units, together with their allies, performed ship maneuvers, prepared for mine detection and destruction, search and rescue, ship survival, replenishment of ship supplies, and other elements of integration drills.

The units also successfully completed complex firing exercises at the Danish Multipurpose Sea Range.

According to the Armed Forces, the exercise also included firing at stationary, moving, and remote-controlled targets.

The Lithuanian Navy’s minesweeper M54 Kursis carried out mine clearance drills with the assistance of mine clearance divers from the Underwater Operations Team of the Harbor Protection and Coastal Defense Unit. 

This year, Lithuania sent three naval vessels to the BALTOPS exercise: the command and supply ship N42 Jotvingis, the minesweeper M54 Kursis, and the patrol ship P12 Dzukas.

According to the military, the Baltic Naval Squadron (BALTRON) also played an important role in the exercise. 

This international unit of the Lithuanian and Latvian naval forces, supplemented by ships from other countries, coordinates mine countermeasure operations in the Baltic Sea. In addition to its operational function, the BALTRON headquarters also serves as a training platform. 

The BALTOPS exercise was led by the United States Naval Forces Europe-Africa.

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Bribery case involving Polish national, Enefit Green goes to court in Lithuania 

VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – A criminal case in which a Polish national is charged with offering a 5,000-euro bribe to an Enefit Green project manager to help his company win a wind farm construction contract in Kelme District has been sent to court for trial, the Prosecutor General's Office said on Friday.  

The pre-trial investigation was carried out by the Special Investigation Service (SIS).

Prosecutors say the man tried to bribe the Enefit Green manager – who is legally considered equivalent to a public official – in exchange for personal and corporate favors in the wind farm project, including approval of extra work, access to confidential company information and preferential treatment in future Enefit Green tenders.

The investigation was launched in 2023 after the Lithuanian subsidiary of Estonia's state-owned Enefit Green reported suspected bribery in its wind turbine procurement process to the SIS.

According to prosecutors, between August and October 2023, the Polish national, representing a company involved in wind farm construction, arranged several meetings with one of Enefit Green's project managers and offered him 100,000 euros to secure the Kelme contract and other advantages.

The Polish company had submitted a commercial offer worth more than 100 million euros in the tender.

In September 2023, the suspect visited Enefit Green's office in Lithuania, met with the project manager and handed him a cookie box containing 5,000 euros in cash, according to the investigation.

The defendant denies the charges.

Lithuanian and Polish officers cooperated during the investigation.

Prosecutors have set bail for the defendant at 75,000 euros as a measure of restraint.

The case, along with an indictment, has been sent to Vilnius Regional Court.

 

 

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Vilnius to remove stone commemorating 650th anniversary of its founding from main square

VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – The Historical Memory Commission of Vilnius has decided to remove the stone unveiled in 1973 to commemorate the 650th anniversary of the founding of the Lithuanian capital from Cathedral Square in the city center.

“The Vilnius Historical Memory Commission has decided to remove the stone from Cathedral Square,” Kamile Seraite-Gogeliene, chair of the municipal commission, wrote on Facebook on Friday.

“Agree – it neither commemorates nor gives meaning to anything, nor does it fit in with the architecture of Cathedral Square, and the desire to mark the 650th anniversary of Vilnius during the Soviet era seems somewhat irrelevant,” she added.

The name of Vilnius and the dates “1323–1973” are carved on the stone. According to the chair of the capital's Historical Memory Commission, it seems that the stone standing in Cathedral Square commemorates the birth and death of Vilnius.

“The dash between the numbers 1323 and 1973 on the stone is too reminiscent of gravestones,” Seraite-Gogeliene noted.

On January 25, 1323, Grand Duke Gediminas of Lithuania sent a letter to merchants, soldiers, craftsmen, farmers, and clergy from all over the world, inviting them to come and settle in Lithuania.

This date is considered the first time the name “Vilnius” was mentioned in written sources.

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Udovickij's Gargzdu Gelezinkelis sues Lithuanian state for EUR 62.5 mln 

VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – Gargzdu Gelezinkelis, a Lithuanian railway services company owned by businessman Igor Udovickij, is suing the state for 62.45 million euros in damages for being denied access to public railway infrastructure capacity between 2017 and 2022.

The Regional Administrative Court, which received Gargzdu Gelezinkelis' lawsuit in March, told BNS that the company is seeking the claimed amount plus 6 percent in interest from the Transport Ministry, which represents the state in the case.

Gargzdu Gelezinkelis claims that the state acted unlawfully and discriminated against it by blocking its ability to meet contractual obligations, resulting in financial losses.

The court is scheduled to begin hearing the case on July 7.

In a separate case, the Lithuanian Supreme Administrative Court ruled on June 11 that the Lithuanian Transport Safety Administration's (LTSA) 2018–2019 decision to deny Gargzdu Gelezinkelis railway capacity for freight shipments from the Belarus border to Klaipeda was unlawful.

The LTSA told the court that its decision followed the rules and was based on a draft train schedule submitted by Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LTG), the state railway operator. It also suggested that Gargzdu Gelezinkelis may be seeking to establish favorable precedents that it could use in its dispute with the state at the Regional Administrative Court.

Gargzdu Gelezinkelis is 85 percent owned by Swiss-based Hasenberg, which is wholly owned by Fortis Asset Management, a Latvian company controlled by Udovickij. 

 

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Ombudsperson: over half of migrants who sought to enter Lithuania last year not identified

VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – More than half of migrants who attempted to enter Lithuania illegally last year were not identified, and their country of origin is unknown, according to data released on Friday by the Parliamentary Ombudspersons’ Office.

The Seimas ombudspersons are therefore calling on the government to reassess the need to continue the emergency situation declared in the country due to the migration crisis and to review its turn-back policy to ensure that it is in line with Lithuania's commitments in the field of human rights and asylum law.

According to data from the State Border Guard Service (SBGS), 1,002 people who attempted to cross the Lithuanian border with Belarus were turned back in 2024.

According to the Seimas ombudspersons, in most cases, these people did not enter Lithuania or returned to Belarus themselves when they saw officers patrolling the border.

As a result, the country of origin of 592, or 59 percent of persons who attempted to cross into Lithuania remained unknown, as did other data that could help identify them.

Among the 410 persons whose country of origin data was collected, the majority of those who attempted to enter Lithuania were citizens of Iran, Afghanistan, Cuba, Iraq, and Somalia.

The Seimas ombudspersons noted that those turned back included 16 Syrian citizens, who are granted international protection in the European Union (EU) in 88 percent of cases.

“Since the identity of the majority of persons refused entry to Lithuania in 2024 remained unknown, it becomes much more difficult or even impossible to help their relatives in the event of their disappearance,” the ombudspersons stressed in the press release.

In addition, according to the ombudspersons, the health of the persons being turned back is at risk. Last year, 115 humanitarian aid kits were distributed in turn-back cases, which were received by slightly more than a tenth of the migrants.

According to the ombudspersons, 43 foreigners who crossed the border with Belarus in a non-designated place had their asylum applications accepted, but the State Border Guard Service was unable to specify the reasons why they were given the opportunity to submit applications, as border guards do not collect such data.

“The decision not to collect personal data is based on the aim of ensuring the application of the General Data Protection Regulation, which should in principle strengthen the legal protection of individuals, but in this case has the opposite effect,” the ombudspersons noted.

The Ombudspersons’ Office emphasized that the practice of turning people back is incompatible with Lithuania's international obligations and those arising from its membership in the EU. As the ombudspersons recalled, Lithuania has received reprimands from local and international human rights organizations.

Therefore, the Seimas ombudspersons recommend that the government reassess the need to continue the emergency situation and review the turn-back policy to ensure its compatibility with Lithuania's commitments in the field of human rights and asylum law.

It is also proposed to define armed conflicts, where the fleeing persons would not be subject to non-admission to the territory of Lithuania, thus protecting the rights of the most vulnerable groups.

The Parliamentary Ombudspersons’ Office issued the press release on June 20, World Refugee Day, which is meant to raise awareness about people who have had to leave their home countries because of economic reasons, persecution, war, or poor human rights situation.

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President invites Cyprus to open embassy in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has invited Cyprus to open its Baltic embassy in Vilnius.

"I am informed about Cyprus' plans to establish an embassy in the Baltic region. I take this opportunity to invite you to consider opening your embassy in Vilnius to further strengthen our political and economic relations," he told reporters after meeting with his Cypriot counterpart, Nikos Christodoulides, in Vilnius on Friday.  

Christodoulides is the first president of the Mediterranean island nation to visit Lithuania.

Nauseda's office said in a press release that the two leaders discussed bilateral relations, the security situation in Europe, Russia's war against Ukraine, continued support for Ukraine, and the priorities of Cyprus' presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2026.

"We have a strong foundation for our growing bilateral ties, and today we are also paving the way to further strengthen this relationship. I'm very encouraged by the growing Lithuanian investment in Cyprus, as well as the steadily increasing number of Lithuanian tourists to Cyprus – and, of course, vice versa," Christodoulides told reporters after the meeting. 

"We are keen to do much more to facilitate these people-to-people contacts and also help Lithuanian businesses and services expand into the Middle East region," he added. 

Nauseda noted that in recent years, Lithuania's service exports to Cyprus have grown 6.5 times, while imports have doubled.

"The growth of trade in services is truly impressive. With Lithuania positioning itself as a center of excellence in cybersecurity, e-business, e-government and fintech, I expect this trend to be mutually beneficial," he said. 

Nauseda also said Cyprus' EU presidency will be particularly important in preparing for the bloc's 2028–2034 multiannual financial framework, which is expected to reflect the funding needs of both traditional and new priorities.

"Your leadership will be essential for advancing the European Union enlargement process, especially regarding Ukraine and Moldova," he said. "We hope that significant progress will be made in negotiations in all areas in 2026." 

Christodoulides last visited Lithuania in 2021 as foreign minister.

Lithuania and Cyprus established diplomatic relations in December 1992.

 

 

By Paulius Perminas

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EU plan to ban Russian gas imports has loopholes – Lithuanian minister

VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – The European Commission's plan to phase out Russian gas imports by the end of 2027 has loopholes that could be exploited not only by Hungary and Slovakia, which are closer to the Kremlin diplomatically, but also by other countries, Lithuanian Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas said on Friday.

Vaiciunas said the plan contains vague exemptions under which EU countries could keep buying Russian gas.

"One of the loopholes that had probably not been expected earlier is Article 15 of the regulation, which states that if there are supply security issues in one or more EU countries, the Commission may grant exemptions for Russian gas imports," the minister told BNS. "This is probably the most concerning provision, because there are no defined criteria."

"It's a rather abstract provision, but it potentially leaves a lot of room for interpretation. We understand perfectly well that some member states will try to use this option as broadly as possible," he added.

On Tuesday, the EU's executive body unveiled its proposal to completely ban Russian gas imports by the end of 2027, ending decades of dependence.

The Commission proposes prohibiting Russian gas imports under new contracts as of January 1, 2026 and imports under existing short-term contracts by June 17 next year.

All remaining imports would be banned by the end of 2027.

The plan relies on trade and energy laws – rather than sanctions – to ban imports from Russia, a move aimed at sidestepping potential opposition from Slovakia and Hungary.

The proposal still needs approval from the European Council and the European Parliament.

According to EU data, Russia supplied 19 percent of the bloc's gas last year, down from 45 percent before the war.

Last year, 32 billion cubic meters of gas entered the EU via the TurkStream pipeline, and another 20 billion cubic meters through liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments.

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Lithuanian parlt speaker urges NATO allies to spend 5 pct of GDP on defense 

VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – Saulius Skvernelis, the speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, on Friday urged NATO member countries to commit to spending 5 percent of their gross domestic product on defense.

"I want to emphasize the importance of the upcoming NATO summit declaration. It will be our united message to Russia and other autocracies. We must invest in NATO's unity, commit to 5 percent of GDP for defense, and ensure continued support for Ukraine and a rapid and effective response to new threats," he said at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly summit in Brussels.

According to the Seimas' press release, Skvernelis also pointed out that the parliament has passed a resolution declaring that Lithuania does not and will never recognize, either de jure or de facto, the Ukrainian territories temporarily occupied by Russia, and called on all countries to follow Lithuania's lead. 

As part of his visit to Brussels, Skvernelis also met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Ruslan Stefanchuk.

The meeting of NATO parliamentary leaders is being held to discuss key defense issues and political-military support among allies ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague.

This is the third meeting of its kind: the first was held in Vilnius in 2023, and the second took place in Washington, United States, in 2024.

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly's spring session is planned to be held in Lithuania next year.

 

 

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EIB approves EUR 540 mln loan for Lithuania’s military campus in Rudninkai

VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – The European Investment Bank (EIB) plans to lend 540 million euros for the construction of the Rudninkai military campus in eastern Lithuania, which will host a German military brigade, the finance ministry and the bank announced on Friday.

The EIB Board of Directors approved the loan at a meeting in Luxembourg on Thursday. 

According to the bank, the endorsement paves the way for legal and financial negotiations over the loan that are expected to be completed in the coming months. 

“The European Investment Bank plans to lend 540 million euros for Lithuania to build a military base south of the capital Vilnius, highlighting Europe's collective commitment to bolster its defense infrastructure and deterrence capacity,” the bank said in a press release.

According to EIB Group President Nadia Calvino, the loan is “a landmark step in how we (the bank) support Europe’s security”.

“By financing large-scale military infrastructure, we’re demonstrating our readiness to meet the region’s evolving defense needs. It reflects the EIB’s growing role in safeguarding stability across the European Union,” she said in Luxembourg where she met Lithuanian Finance Minister Rimantas Sadzius.

The approved EIB loan will be available to private sector partners to be selected by the Lithuanian defense ministry to implement the project.

“We are already seeing the results of financial diplomacy and we can confidently state that the EIB's involvement will contribute not only to Lithuania’s debt sustainability and stronger fiscal stance but also to the security of our country,” Sadzius said.

“This investment marks a historic milestone for Lithuania’s national security and NATO’s collective defense,” the press release quoted Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene as saying.

The Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) is also considering financing the Rudninkai military campus project.

Lithuania is building the Rudninkai military campus in the eastern district of Salcininkai as part of its plan to host the German brigade.

The project is being carried out in phases: the first phase is already underway through a construction contract with Eikos Statyba, while the second phase is expected to be implemented through a public-private partnership (PPP).

The campus will accommodate up to 4,000 military and civilian personnel, and will include the infrastructure to support the planned German brigade of up to 500 personnel.

The construction is scheduled to start in 2026 and the campus is expected to be operational by early 2028.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Monday, June 23, 2025

VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Monday, June 23, 2025:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to give an interview to Deutsche Welle at 2.30 p.m.

FOREIGN MINISTER Kestutis Budrys to take part in the Foreign Affairs Council session in Brussels, Belgium.

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LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Lithuania to evacuate diplomats' families, some staff from Israel as situation worsens
2. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, June 19, 2025
3. Lithuania turns away 1 irregular migrant on border with Belarus
4. Lithuanian interior minister in Tallinn for regional border security talks
5. Lithuania's evacuation flight brings 100 from Israel to Vilnius
6. Cypriot president to visit Lithuania, meet Nauseda for talks on bilateral ties, security
7. Lithuanian watchdog orders more IP blocks to curb Russian propaganda
8. Lithuanian prosecutors drop probe into MP Zemaitaitis' failed US trip
9. Lithuanian speaker questions evacuation firm choice: 'You hire it, then say it stinks'
10. Rail Baltica stretch to Vilnius to be built after 2030 – ministry
11. Lithuanian crisis center to look into possible contract breach after passenger removal
12. Missile lands near Lithuanian Embassy in Israel, FM activates emergency center
13. Lithuanian FM vows to turn to govt commission over company chosen for Israel evacuation
14. Lithuania one step away from enabling national sanctions on Russia, Belarus
15. Expanded search fails to find Russian who jumped off transit train in Lithuania
16. Our goal is to establish not one, but two new training areas – Lithuanian vicemin
17. Lithuanian parliament to hold another unscheduled sitting next week
18. Lithuanian parlt votes down bid to make January 13 public holiday, instead of November 2
19. Four Lithuanian drug smuggling suspects arrested in Lithuania, Spain, including ringleader
20. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, June 20, 2025

Lithuania to evacuate diplomats' families, some staff from Israel as situation worsens

VILNIUS, Jun 19, BNS – Lithuania has decided to evacuate the families of its diplomats and some staff from Israel as the security situation continues to worsen, Foreign Ministry Chancellor Aiste Stakeniene told BNS on Thursday.

"We decided today that family members and non-essential staff should now be evacuated," she said.

The decision was made at a meeting of the Foreign Ministry's emergency center on Thursday.

"Once diplomats have taken care of their families, they'll be able to carry out their functions more easily," the chancellor added.

A missile fell near the Lithuanian Embassy in Tel Aviv early Thursday morning.

Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys told BNS that hat neither the embassy nor any diplomats were affected.

Around 100 Lithuanian nationals have been evacuated from Israel due to the escalating Israel-Iran conflict

 

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, June 19, 2025

VILNIUS, Jun 19, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, June 19, 2025:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to have a phone call with European Council President Antonio Costa at 3.30 p.m.

SOCIAL SECURITY AND LABOR MINISTER Inga Ruginiene to attend an event at the UK Embassy to mark King Charles III's birthday at 5 p.m.

INTERIOR MINISTER Vladislav Kondratovic to meet with regional ministers responsible for internal security in Tallinn to discuss border security issues.

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Lithuania turns away 1 irregular migrant on border with Belarus

VILNIUS, Jun 19, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have turned away one migrant attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally over the past 24 hours, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Thursday morning.

Latvia reported 57 illegal border crossing attempts on Wednesday. Poland denied entry to 98 irregular migrants on Tuesday, according to the latest available information.

Lithuania has barred 868 irregular migrants from entering from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year, after turning away 1,002 in 2024

The influx of irregular migrants into the EU's eastern member states from Belarus began in 2021 and is blamed by the West on the Minsk regime.

 

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Lithuanian interior minister in Tallinn for regional border security talks

VILNIUS, Jun 19, BNS – Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic is visiting Tallinn on Thursday for talks with regional counterparts on bolstering border security, countering hybrid threats and fighting disinformation.

"The security challenges in our region are no longer confined to individual countries – they are shared across Europe. We are facing organized crime, cyberattacks, instrumentalized migration and deliberate disinformation efforts," Kondratovic said in a comment to BNS ahead of the visit.

"Conventional measures are no longer enough – we need an innovative approach, rapid response and strong international cooperation," he added. 

In Tallinn, the Lithuanian minister will meet with his counterparts from the Baltic countries, Poland, Norway, Finland and Sweden, as well as with European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner and Frontex Executive Director Hans Leijtens.

 

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Lithuania's evacuation flight brings 100 from Israel to Vilnius

VILNIUS, Jun 19, BNS – About 100 people evacuated from Israel due to the military conflict with Iran landed in Vilnius early Thursday. 

The group, which includes Lithuanian and other nationals, was transported to Aqaba Airport in Jordan by bus from Israel on Tuesday before boarding the flight home.

Before departure, Marius Laurinavicius, a political observer, was asked to leave the plane. Laurinavicius told Lithuanian media that the order came from Gediminas Ziemelis, following his previous criticism of the businessman's business dealings in Russia.

The evacuation flight was operated by Chapman Freeborn, a charter company owned by Ziemelis' aviation business group Avia Solutions Group. 

Darius Buta of the National Crisis Management Center (NCMC) said that the center was looking into the incident, adding that efforts were being made to help Laurinavicius return to Lithuania.

Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said on Facebook he would not let the incident go unanswered and vowed to eradicate what he called the Russian business "culture."

Ziemelis said on social media that preliminary findings linked the incident to a threat to blow up the plane.

This evacuation flight was delayed several times due to aircraft repairs and challenging aviation conditions in the region. According to the original plan, Lithuanians were supposed to depart from Aqaba Airport on Tuesday evening.

The evacuation flight from Jordan to Lithuania was expected to cost around 200,000 euros. Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said on Tuesday that Lithuanian citizens would not be required to pay for the evacuation.

Three-quarters of the cost is expected to be covered by the European Union through the Civil Protection Mechanism, with the remainder paid by the Lithuanian government.

The passengers were forced to leave Israel due to the military conflict between the Jewish state and Iran, which has seen the two countries exchange fire for nearly a week.

 

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Cypriot president to visit Lithuania, meet Nauseda for talks on bilateral ties, security

VILNIUS, Jun 19, BNS – Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides is expected to visit Lithuania on Friday for talks with President Gitanas Nauseda on bilateral relations and the security situation in Europe.

The two leaders will also discuss "Russia's war in Ukraine, support for Ukraine and priorities for Cyprus' upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2026," Nauseda's office said in a press release on Thursday.

Lithuania and Cyprus established diplomatic relations in December 1992.

 

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Lithuanian watchdog orders more IP blocks to curb Russian propaganda

VILNIUS, Jun 19, BNS – The Lithuanian Radio and Television Commission (LRTC) has adopted two new decisions requiring Internet service providers to block IP addresses to prevent access to banned Russian propaganda content and copyright-infringing websites.

The LRTC said in a press release on Wednesday that 24 IP addresses will be blocked for providing access to the European Union-sanctioned TV channels Pervyi Kanal, Rossiya 1, NTV, Rossiya RTR, Rossiya1 and RTR Planeta.

The media watchdog also ordered the blocking of five additional IP address ranges hosted by a provider based in Russia. The move targets a website that violates copyright laws.

"It is evident that providing such content on a website aimed at Lithuanian users poses a threat to national and public security," it said in the press release.

"To reduce potential threats and limit the influence of a hostile state, it was decided to implement preventive and restrictive measures against these websites."

The LRTC said the decisions were based on and in line with EU Council regulations imposing restrictive measures against the spread of disinformation and propaganda targeting the EU and its member states.

The commission has issued similar decisions on numerous occasions in the past.

 

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Lithuanian prosecutors drop probe into MP Zemaitaitis' failed US trip

VILNIUS, Jun 19, BNS – Lithuania's Prosecutor General's Office on Thursday announced that it had closed a pre-trial investigation into MP Remigijus Zemaitaitis' planned and failed trip to the United States.

"In the absence of objective elements of a criminal offense, the pre-trial investigation has been terminated as no offense having the elements of a crime or a criminal offense has been committed,” the prosecution service said.

In early March, the leader of the Nemunas Dawn party, part of the ruling bloc, said he had been deceived by a prankster pretending to be a DOGE staff member as after arranging a paid trip to the US for him and his wife, they arrived at the airport to find that the received plane tickets were fake.

In his email exchange with the prankster, Zemaitaitis agreed on the details of the trip, which was to be covered by DOGE. The plan included traveling with his wife, staying in a five-star hotel, meeting with Musk, and attending the Broadway musical The Great Gatsby.

In the emails, Zemaitaitis also criticized President Gitanas Nauseda for his alleged criticism of US President Donald Trump. 

The Special Investigation Service has also carried out a pre-trial investigation into Zemaitaitis' planned trip to the United States to allegedly meet with Elon Musk, who led DOGE at the time.

The investigation focused on possible abuse of power for financial and other personal gains to promote one's political career. 

According to the prosecution service, the SIS investigation has established all the circumstances relevant for the assessment related to the initiation of this alleged trip.

"The prosecutor's decision to discontinue the pre-trial investigation states that the e-mail correspondence between Zemaitaitis and the person who pretended to be a representative of a US institution regarding the organization of the trip, the politician's planned meetings in the US and other issues, as well as other collected material from the pre-trial investigation, do not confirm that Zemaitaitis committed a criminal offense in the situation under investigation," the report states.

In early June, the Seimas Commission for Ethics and Procedures stated that by concealing the real purpose and other circumstances of his trip to the US, Zemaitaitis had violated the principles of honesty, transparency and publicity enshrined in the Code of Conduct for State Politicians.

It also decided to refer to the Chief Official Ethics Commission a request to assess Zemaitaitis' conduct under the Law on Lobbying Activities.

Meanwhile, the police is also carrying a separate a pre-trial investigation into the anonymous person's forged plane tickets to the United States they sent to Zemaitaitis.

By Vilmantas Venckūnas

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Lithuanian speaker questions evacuation firm choice: 'You hire it, then say it stinks'

VILNIUS, Jun 19, BNS – Saulius Skvernelis, the speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, says he does not understand why Chapman Freeborn, a charter company owned by businessman Gediminas Ziemelis' aviation group Avia Solutions Group, was chosen to handle the evacuation of Lithuanians from Israel.

"One day you choose this company and two days later you start criticizing it, saying something stinks. So why? Were there really no other companies to choose from?" he told reporters.

Skvernelis' comments came after Marius Laurinavicius, a political observer who was among the passengers, was ordered to leave the plane in Jordan late Wednesday night, before the evacuation flight.

The exact reason for his removal remains unclear.

Vilma Vaitiekunaite, CEO of Skyllence, an Avia Solutions Group company handling private flights at Vilnius Airport, initially told BNS that the removal was due to issues with data provided by the operator.

Ziemelis later wrote on Facebook that the incident was linked to a possible threat by Laurinavicius to blow up the plane, an explanation later echoed by Vaitiekunaite. 

Laurinavicius has rejected these claims, saying the real reason was his public criticism of Ziemelis.

 

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Rail Baltica stretch to Vilnius to be built after 2030 – ministry

VILNIUS, Jun 19, BNS – The section of the Rail Baltica European-gauge railway to Vilnius will be built after 2030 once the construction of the main line is completed. Until then, a variable gauge mechanism could be temporarily used between Vilnius and Kaunas, the Ministry of Transport and Communications said on Thursday. 

In this case, the train in Kaunas would switch from the European gauge to the broad gauge and reach the capital, it said.

Transport and Communications Minister Eugenijus Sabutis says that the Rail Baltica section to Vilnius will be built as soon as possible once the necessary funding is secured.

"The first stage ensures Lithuania's connection to Western Europe via Kaunas, while the second stage provides for the extension of the European-gauge track to Vilnius. I can assure you that Vilnius is an integral part of Rail Baltica but it will be implemented after 2030 once the main line is completed," he said in a statement.

Lithuania has already secured 1.6 billion euros in funding for the Rail Baltica project until 2030, and will seek an additional 4 billion euros.

Rail Baltica is currently under construction in Lithuania on a 46.3 km stretch between Kaunas and Panevezys, and work is expected to extend to 114 km by the end of the year.

In early June, Sabutis told TV3 News he would not seek European funding for the Rail Baltica railway section to Vilnius as the EU was not willing to allocate funds for this part of the project.

The minister said at the time that the state budget does not have the necessary funds for the construction of the European track between Kaunas and Vilnius.

In their joint report published in June 2024, Baltic auditors said that a further 10-19 billion euros could be needed to implement the planned works in the three Baltic countries, including 8.7 billion euros in Lithuania alone.

Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has said that the entire Rail Baltica project is currently short of about 11 billion euros. 

The entire Rail Baltica project connecting the Baltic countries to Europe is scheduled to be completed by 2030, while the link between Lithuania and Poland is expected to be completed by 2028.

It was previously reported that the railway would connect Tallinn, Parnu, Riga, Panevezys, Kaunas, Vilnius and Warsaw, Rail Baltica will stretch 392 km in Lithuania.

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Lithuanian crisis center to look into possible contract breach after passenger removal

VILNIUS, Jun 19, BNS – The National Crisis Management Center (NCMC) said on Thursday it would request an explanation from the company that operated Lithuania's evacuation flight from Jordan regarding the removal of Marius Laurinavicius, a political observer who was among the passengers, from the plane.

The center will then assess whether the company violated the terms of its contract.

The flight was operated by Chapman Freeborn, a charter company that is part of businessman Gediminas Ziemelis' aviation group Avia Solutions Group. 

"There are conflicting accounts, and the situation seems strange. We'll send an official inquiry today asking why this decision was made," Vilmantas Vitkauskas, the NCMC head, told reporters.

"Once we receive a response, we'll see how it fits within the terms of the contract we signed. Then we'll evaluate the legal options and whether the contract was breached," he said.  

Laurinavicius was ordered to leave the plane in Jordan late Wednesday night, before the evacuation flight.

The exact reason for his removal remains unclear.

Vilma Vaitiekunaite, CEO of Skyllence, an Avia Solutions Group company handling private flights at Vilnius Airport, initially told BNS that the removal was due to issues with data provided by the operator.

Ziemelis later wrote on Facebook that the incident was linked to a possible threat by Laurinavicius to blow up the plane, an explanation later echoed by Vaitiekunaite. 

Laurinavicius has rejected these claims, saying the real reason was his public criticism of Ziemelis.

 

 

 

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Missile lands near Lithuanian Embassy in Israel, FM activates emergency center

VILNIUS, Jun 19, BNS – A rocket landed near the Lithuanian Embassy in Tel Aviv early Thursday morning, prompting an emergency meeting of the Emergency Situation Center at the Foreign Ministry.

"The ambassador has informed that neither our mission nor diplomats were affected," Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys told BNS on Thursday. "The security situation and the safety of our diplomats are very important to us and we are in constant contact with them."

According to the minister, the missile landed within the same complex where the Lithuanian mission is situated. 

In response to the situation, a meeting of the ministry's Emergency Situation Center was held on Thursday morning. It is expected to provide recommendations on whether Lithuanian diplomats and mission staff can remain at their workplaces, and to gather information on whether there are people willing to leave Israel.

The security situation in Israel deteriorated last week when Israel struck Iran first. As BNS reported earlier, some 100 Lithuanian citizens have been evacuated from Israel as a result.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuanian FM vows to turn to govt commission over company chosen for Israel evacuation

VILNIUS, Jun 19, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys says he will turn to a government commission as to why Avia Solutions Group, the aviation business group owned by businessman Gediminas Ziemelis, was chosen to evacuate Lithuanians from Israel.

"I have unanswered questions, both as a citizen and as a former officer, as to why the company is not trustworthy to operate in strategic sectors but is trustworthy to take care of our citizens when we see that they are not able to do so," Budrys told reporters at the Seimas on Thursday.

"As a minister, I now have not only questions but also a duty to respond to this situation, not in relation to a specific event, but seeing the whole context, there is a reason to turn the Coordination Commission for the Protection of Objects of Importance for National Security and to reassess as to what extent the company's other activities in the strategic sectors are in line with the interests of national security," he said.

The minister says this is what he meant with his Facebook post on Wednesday when he says he would not leave this case like this, adding that "the Russian business 'culture' will be finally gotten rid of".

Lithuania's top diplomat made the remarks after political analyst Marius Laurinavicius was removed from the evacuation flight from Jordan late Wednesday night before it took some 100 Lithuanians evacuated from Israel to Lithuania.

The exact reasons why this happened are not yet clear.

Vilma Vaitiekunaite, CEO of Skyllence, an Avia Solutions Group company handling private flights at Vilnius Airport, initially told BNS that the removal was due to issues with data provided by the operator.

Ziemelis later wrote on Facebook that the incident was linked to a possible threat by Laurinavicius to blow up the plane, an explanation later echoed by Vaitiekunaite. 

Laurinavicius has rejected these claims, saying the real reason was his public criticism of Ziemelis.

In November 2015, the government commission prevented FL Technics, a company indirectly owned by businessman Gediminas Ziemelis, from expanding at Vilnius Airport because the company did not meet national security criteria.

A few years ago, the State Security Department confirmed that the intelligence service had information raising doubts about the activities and credibility of Avia Solutions Group. 

Budrys served as a SSD deputy director from 2015 to 2022.

By Vilmantas Venckūnas

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Lithuania one step away from enabling national sanctions on Russia, Belarus

VILNIUS, Jun 19, BNS – A proposal allowing Lithuania to impose national economic sanctions on Russia and Belarus if the European Union fails to extend its measures cleared its second reading in the parliament on Thursday.

The draft amendments to the Law on Restrictive Measures Due to Military Aggression Against Ukraine passed with 102 votes in favor, none against, and one abstention, and now require a final vote to be adopted.

Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys, who initiated the amendments, said the need for such legislation became apparent over the winter when the EU began facing difficulties in extending existing sanctions.

EU sanctions are extended by consensus among member states, but this time there are concerns that Hungary might veto the move. 

If the EU fails to extend its sanctions, Lithuania is weighing two alternative options: Plan B would involve coordinated action among 26 member states, while Plan C would mean introducing national-level sanctions, the minister said.

The bill would authorize the Lithuanian government to impose two types of sanctions: asset freezes and sectoral, or economic, restrictions. 

In both cases, the lists of sanctioned individuals and companies would be drawn up by the Cabinet.

The parliament also rejected an amendment drafted by MP Mindaugas Linge of the opposition conservative Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats (HU-LCD). 

Linge proposed amending the Law on Restrictive Measures to suspend the right of Russian citizens holding temporary or permanent residence permits in Lithuania to buy real estate located near facilities critical to national security or military training areas.

Vilnius wants not only Lithuania but also other EU members bordering Russia or Belarus to impose measures if the EU sanctions are not extended. This would prevent goods from the two countries from entering the bloc by land and increase trade costs.

Budrys stressed on Monday that Latvia, Estonia and Poland already have similar legal tools in place and can use them if needed.

EU sanctions are typically extended by consensus among member states.

The bloc has adopted 17 sanctions packages against Russia since February 24, 2022, when Moscow launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine. These sanctions target both specific individuals and the Kremlin's economic sectors and companies.

Lithuania has also imposed its own national sanctions on Russian and Belarusian citizens. These include entry restrictions, limits on issuing residence permits, and additional security checks for those arriving from outside the EU. Russian and Belarusian citizens are also prohibited from bringing or taking Ukrainian hryvnias into or out of Lithuania, and the import of agricultural products and feed originating from Russia or Belarus is banned.

Russian citizens without residence permits are also barred from purchasing real estate in Lithuania.

 

 

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Expanded search fails to find Russian who jumped off transit train in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Jun 19, BNS – Lithuanian police on Thursday expanded the search area and are checking residents' reports but have yet to find the Russian citizen believed to have jumped off a Kaliningrad transit train earlier this week.

"We have no information on the person's whereabouts," Ieva Petruleviciene, spokeswoman for the Marijampole County Police Headquarters, told BNS Thursday afternoon.

Petruleviciene said the search zone has been widened, with officers now covering the area from Kaunas District to Kybartai.

"We received several tips from residents about someone matching the description, but none have been confirmed so far," she said.

According to the spokeswoman, officers follow up on all leads by visiting reported locations and reviewing video footage from nearby shops and other public places.

According to the Police Department, the Kybartai railway border checkpoint received a report at around 6 a.m. on Tuesday that a Russian citizen born in 2004 had left the moving Adler–Kaliningrad train.

Police said about 25 minutes before the train was due to reach the Kybartai railway station, an attendant noticed an open train door when the train was moving between Pilviskiai and Kybartai, through which the person could have jumped.

 

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Our goal is to establish not one, but two new training areas – Lithuanian vicemin

VILNIUS, Jun 19, BNS – Lithuania has the goal of establishing not one, but two new military training areas in the country, Defense Vice Minister Orijana Masale says as the Environment Ministry picks seven potential sites for a new training area.

"We are currently talking about the formation of two possible training areas because we see the huge needs of both the Lithuanian Armed Forces and allied armies. And we have the goal of looking for two territories suitable for training areas," she told BNS on Thursday.

One of the areas should be fit for a brigade, while the size of the second area to be decided after a physical inspection of the selected sites.

"One of them should definitely be a brigade-sized training area so that combat exercises can be carried out there. As for the size of the other one, well, we will see what we can find on the ground," Masale said, adding that the list of potential sites will be further narrowed down once the site survey has started.

The army would like to see the new training area located in southern or northeastern Lithuania.

"We are still looking into those theoretical models, the maps, and our team members are working on the seven areas that are most suitable. Then we will narrow it down to a smaller number. And that is why we are saying that that practical inspection of the sites will start next week once we have a slightly smaller number," the vice minister explained.

As BNS reported earlier, the Environment Ministry has selected seven potential sites for new military areas but none of them covers the 20,000 hectares needed for a brigade-sized training area.

According to Masale, this will require combining several territories and "a different creative approach to the situation".

The specific future locations of the two training areas should become known in July.

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Lithuanian parliament to hold another unscheduled sitting next week

VILNIUS, Jun 19, BNS – With the spring session coming to a close, the board of the Lithuanian parliament has decided to hold another unscheduled plenary sitting next Wednesday.

Seimas Speaker Saulius Skvernelis told reporters on Thursday that the regular sitting planned for Thursday, June 26, will include a vote on amendments to the laws on real estate and personal income taxes. To prevent that sitting from running late into the night, less controversial bills will be moved to the June 25 sitting. 

The unscheduled sitting will consider draft amendments to the laws on the State Road Fund, road maintenance, pension accumulation, tourism, electricity, restrictive measures related to the military aggression against Ukraine, and others.

The Seimas debated part of the tax reform package during its unscheduled sitting last Monday.

The Constitution sets June 30 as the closing date for the parliament's regular spring session.

 

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Lithuanian parlt votes down bid to make January 13 public holiday, instead of November 2

VILNIUS, Jun 19, BNS – Lithuanian lawmakers on Thursday voted down a proposal to make January 13, the Day of the Defenders of Freedom, as a public holiday, instead of All Souls' Day on November 2 after 42 MPs voted in favor, 12 were against and 32 abstained.

The government had approved the move, proposing not to increase the number of public holidays and therefore to scrap November 2. 

Last week, the Seimas Committee on Social Affairs and Labor approved the changes after lawmakers rejected the Committee on Social Security and Labor's conclusion against declaring January 13 a public holiday.

However, the bill was sent back to its initiators for improvement.

Now in Lithuania, there are 16 public holidays, three of which fall on weekends.

The government agrees to declare January 13 a public holiday but is proposing not to increase the number of non-working days by excluding November 2, All Souls' Day, from the list of public holiday.

Some politicians propose making January 13 a public holiday instead of the International Labor Day on May 1. 24 lawmakers voted in favor of this proposal on Thursday, 50 were against and 14 abstained.

Fourteen civilians were killed and hundreds more were wounded when the Soviet troops stormed the TV Tower and the Radio and Television Committee building in Vilnius in the early morning hours of January 13, 1991 as the Soviets attempted to overthrow by military force the legitimate government of Lithuania, which had declared its independence from the Soviet Union on March 11, 1990.

By Paulius Perminas

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Four Lithuanian drug smuggling suspects arrested in Lithuania, Spain, including ringleader

VILNIUS, Jun 19, BNS - Law enforcement authorities in Lithuania and Spain have detained four members of a criminal group, including the ringleader, during an international operation. They are suspected of organizing a major drug smuggling operation.

The arrest, made in cooperation with Spanish counterparts, took place on June 8 after a long and complex investigation, the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau said on Thursday. The operation involved arrests in Vilnius, Klaipeda, Palanga and Spain, as well as more than 25 searches, which led to the discovery of evidence relevant to the investigation.

All four detainees are Lithuanian nationals, including the leader of the organized group.

The pre-trial investigation is being carried out into criminal activity in an organized group, illegal disposal of drugs with intent to distribute and smuggling of narcotic and psychotropic substances.

The public has not been informed about the arrest so far in order not to jeopardize the success of the ongoing investigation, investigators said.

As a follow-up to the investigation, in December 2024, a separate operation was carried out in Ireland in cooperation with local officers, resulting in the seizure of a very large quantity of cannabis and the confiscation of a significant amount of cash.

According to the police, this organized group has been active for many years in countries outside the European Union and had a high level of professionalism, a strict hierarchical structure and its operations involves a high level of conspiracy.

The group specialized in large-scale drug smuggling and distribution, often by water, land and air, and through covert transport channels.

The geography of the group's crimes, according to forensic experts, ranged from Spain to Ireland. Lithuania was an important transit and logistics point in this scheme.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, June 20, 2025

VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Friday, June 20, 2025:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides at 10.30 a.m. followed by the presidents' statements to the press at 11.30 a.m.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Saulius Skvernelis to attend a meeting of the parliamentary leaders from NATO countries in Brussels and is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Ruslan Stefanchuk.

INTERIOR MINISTER Vladislav Kondratovic is meeting with regional ministers responsible for internal security in Tallinn to discuss border security issues.

 

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